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In session

The second annual SC World Congress brought together leading voices and key decision-makers in the IT security industry.

Close to 1,000 information security executives and some 45 of the industry's leading product and service providers hit the second annual SC World Congress, held October 13 and 14 in New York. And, both these numbers and feedback from conferees and exhibitors alike attest to the success of the event – even as trying economic times have seen participation in trade shows waning.

All of the professionals on hand to attend the four tracks of sessions, keynotes and other happenings agree that the robust lineup of industry acknowledged experts played a huge role in drawing information security leaders from their offices to make the two-day event. Andreas Ohrbeck, vice president, business and sales development, Secunia, says there were a slew of knowledgeable professionals milling about. “We are looking forward to the event again next year,” he adds. Christina Dodds, marketing event manager, Sophos, agrees, noting that “the high quality attendees made this event a worthwhile investment.”

Taken together, the conference and the expo helped to keep all attendees apprised of the latest threats, trends and solutions in every aspect of information security. Numerous recognized names in the industry and high-profile speakers from government and corporate entities shared their strategies, experiences and advice. For example, Bob Carr, CEO of Heartland Payment Systems, which suffered one of the largest data breaches on record, shared more details about the incident and its aftermath, as well as the steps his company has taken to ensure it is not victimized again. Also, during another keynote, FTC Commissioner William Kovacic addressed identity theft, phishing and other issues on which the agency is focusing and explained ways the private sector can work with it to help fight cybercrime.

In addition to the many sessions, keynotes and expo, 10 young information security companies participated in the Security Innovators Throwdown, produced by SC Magazine, which was a new component of the conference this year. After their presentations to a distinguished panel of experts, which outlined their vision and demonstrated ability to express the viabilities of their technologies, the following companies were declared the top five Innovators within the industry: Hytrust, Yubico, Envision Security, SMS Passcode, and SilverTail.

Jared Pfost, CEO of Envision Security, one of the winners, says that the event was the perfect stage for his company's first public appearance. “The competition not only provided us visibility, but we're already applying insight gained from the judging panel to evolve our offering,” he adds.

In addition to allowing a forum to showcase their corporate visions and solutions, the competition also proved “a fun, spirited and challenging event for showcasing developing technologies in our field,” says Lars Barthold Nielsen, VP, commercial operations, SMS Passcode. “SC Magazine is the authority within our industry and we are honored and excited to have proven to the selection committee the viability of our two-factor SMS authentication technology through the Security Innovators Throwdown.”

The top five innovators selected during the event will be featured in a future edition of SC Magazine in a special section that will discuss not only these companies and their wares in more detail, but also the evolution of the information security market.

“I want to congratulate the winners of the Security Innovators Throwdown, as well as all those that participated and made this unique event a success” says Illena Armstrong, editor-in-chief, SC Magazine. “These companies will surely continue to drive the growth and development of the information security industry, and foster new ways of addressing emerging challenges.”

With this being only the second year for SC World Congress, the event exceeded expectations, says Armstrong. “I thank everyone who participated – our sponsors and presenters – for helping to make the 2009 SC World Congress an unmitigated success.”

Be sure to check out our website, www.scmagazineus.com, where we'll be posting a number of keynotes and sessions recorded at SC World Congress to a brand new section of the site, SCWC 24/7. An online community for information security pros, this virtual environment offers up loads of advice and guidance on how to thwart cyberthieves who take advantage of the countless vulnerabilities that plague all organizations' networks. In addition to audio and video recordings from SC World Congress, as well as other materials shared during last month's live conference and expo, we also will host a virtual event on SCWC 24/7 each month, which will be focused around a pertinent subject that you, as an IT security professional, face on a regular basis. This is a completely free, content-rich offering to keep you informed of the newest developments in the industry – that is, until next year's SC World Congress hits New York City for its third year running.

Photos:

1. Stacey Halota, vice president, information security and privacy, Washington Post Co.

2. The crowd on the expo floor

3. The judging panel of the Security Innovators Throwdown, from left: Greg Bell, KPMG; Simone Seth, Internet Security Forum; Becky Brace, IN-Q-TEL; Illena Armstrong and Peter Stephenson, SC Magazine

4. Attendees at a keynote

Photos by Andrea Fischman

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